Remedial Classes for Girls in 3 Panchayats in Hazaribagh District

  The literacy rate of women in rural Jharkhand  remains at a stark 48%  compared to 72% for men . Most girls in Hazaribagh district do not pursue education post Class 7 (age 12). Reasons for low rates of graduation for girl children are: 

• Lack of educational support to help learn subjects like Mathematics, English and Science. 
• Available tuition centers are far-off and are expensive
• Family members work in other cities/towns due to which teenage daughters are expected to look after the households
• Child marriages

Neelam and her team are organizing remedial classes in 5 villages of  Churchu block, Hazaribagh for  175 tribal girl children attending classes 8, 9 and 10. The remedial classes will focus on two functions:

1. Provide resources - Through the remedial classes, the organization  aids the children with necessary educational resources like books, online material and  computer classes, that will help them learn better. Each village will have one center of 35 children each attending classes in the evenings post school. The teacher for the remedial classes will be chosen from the block area based on the teacher’s qualification and experience. 
2. Leadership and mental health coaching - Along with providing remedial classes support, the organization works with the girl children on a one-on-one basis to understand if there may be any other issue that they may face that restricts them from pursuing their higher education. For example:  Through the case studies, the organization plans to make necessary action plans which cater to each child’s needs. 

Through the remedial classes in the villages, the organizations aims to create impact in the lives of  175 tribal girls by - 

• Improved academic performance of girl children which is regularly monitored and given individualized support.
• Increase in the number of girl children attending high school after the remedial classes support is made available.
• Reduced rate of child marriages in the region - The organization has been working for the last two  decades to fight child marriages but some instances still continue to take place. To completely eradicate child marriages in the region, the best way is to encourage the girl children to pursue education to be independent and financially secure. 
• Girl children have increased support - The project aims not only to fulfill educational needs, but also build on a personalized intervention with each and every girl child attending these classes, any issue that may cause any threat to their wellbeing can be recognized and eliminated directly. 

Overall wellbeing of girl children - The girl children in the region often lack hope for a better future due to the situation. Through this project, the girl children can grow up to be confident educated women who can pursue college education, build a career and be financially independent. The project will aid in them taking baby steps towards achieving this dream that can better their wellbeing for their lifetime.